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We want good neighbors.
Why are we treating women this way?
Justice NOT Jumpsuits
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Find out what happened at our 2005 rally!
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Our Place has been surveying women who were released from the DC Jail since February 8, 2005. Here is what we have found as of March 8, 2008:
19% were released between 8 A.M. and noon.
29% were released between noon and 5 P.M.
36% were released between 5 P.M. and 10 P.M.
17% were released at 10 P.M. or later.
61% were released in their Jail Jumpsuit.
51% of the women were not given bus tokens or a Metro pass when they were released.
23% of the women possessed some form of identification when they first came to the DC Jail/CTF. Only 47% of these women received their identification back when they were released.
Of the women who entered the DC Jail/CTF without identification, only 31% received an ID card when they were released.
66% of the women left the jail with no information about community resources.
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March 7th Rally and Testimony at the Wilson Building
“Justice NOT Jumpsuits” was the cry that could be heard from at least three sides of the Wilson Building on March 7th as we gathered to raise
awareness about inadequate conditions at the DC jail. We were a force of forty people – some clothed in jail jumpsuits, some covered with pins bearing the slogan, some carrying signs, all chanting in unison to make our purpose clear. Later that evening, we entered the Wilson Building to attend the DC Department of Corrections Oversight Hearing before the Judiciary Committee where several of us presented 
testimony. This was the real highlight of the evening, because at this point, it became evident that we had made an impact. After our testimony, Phil Mendelson, the committee’s chairperson, posed a series of provoking questions to staff at the DC Department of Corrections and requested more responsiveness on their part to the issues that we had just raised.
Thanks so much to all of you who supported us in this effort – particularly DC Cure, the DC Prisoner’s Legal Services Project, and the Rebecca Project for Human Rights. In addition to receiving media coverage from Channel 9, Channel 7, WPFW 89.3FM and WAMU 88.5FM, we were encouraged by the number of people passing by who stopped to listen to our message and ask how they could respond. We look forward to doing more work to improve the conditions for people returning home from incarceration. Check back with us to learn how you can help.
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